About City of Chico

The City of Chico was founded in 1860 by General John Bidwell and incorporated in 1872. The City of Chico has grown to over 33 square miles with a population of 88,389 (January 2014) in the incorporated area and a greater urbanized area population of approximately 100,000. Chico is located in the Northern Sacramento Valley of California, ninety miles north of Sacramento on Highway 99, in Butte County, east of Interstate 5.

Chico is known as a well-managed city that values quality infrastructure and services, and maintains a special sense of community and small-town living as it has developed into a vibrant regional center for business, recreation and cultural activities. There are also many recreational opportunities in and around Chico. BIDWELL PARK one of the largest municipally owned parks in the nation (3,670 acres), is the focal point of the City's park system and offers numerous trails for biking, hiking and equestrian use.